---
title: Screenshot A/B tests — themes to test and published results
slug: app-store-screenshot-ab-test-results
summary: What to A/B test on App Store screenshots (order, design, seasonality, orientation, callouts, video) and results from cited cases — +30%, +13.8%, +45%/+61% in two phases, Angry Birds seasonal loss.
domain: mobile-apps
tags: [aso, screenshots, ab-testing, product-page-optimization, conversion-rate]
related: [app-store-screenshot-copy-best-practices, app-store-screenshot-production-and-ppo-setup, custom-product-pages-for-ads]
sources: [yt:4RpS1BMJEaw, yt:x41YQ11Regg]
updated: 2026-10-23
---

# Screenshot A/B tests — themes to test and published results

## TL;DR
- Screenshots and icon are the ASO lever that raises downloads **without touching keywords**.[^1]
- Test themes: **branded design, seasonality, screenshot order, orientation (portrait vs landscape), text callouts, video vs no video.**[^2]
- **Video:** usually helps **games**; for non-games it's often unnecessary and has sometimes **hurt** conversion.[^2]
- Run **one test at a time** unless you have massive download volume.[^3]
- Small wins compound: +15% on 10,000 downloads = 1,500 extra downloads for free.[^4]

## Details
**Results cited by Steve P. Young (Sept 2026):**
| Case | Change | Result |
|---|---|---|
| CBT anxiety app (App Masters client) | Lead with keyword + USPs + Editor's Choice | **+30% downloads**[^5] |
| Another App Masters client | Redesigned, prettier screenshots | **+13.8% downloads**[^6] |
| Case via SplitMetrics/AppScreens blog, phase 1 | Sporty background vs plain blue | **+10–13%**[^6] |
| Same case, phase 2 | Close-up feature/screen highlights, same headlines | **+45%**; **+61% installs** overall vs original[^7] |
| Angry Birds (Apple-published) | Seasonal vs standard screenshots | Standard **won** — seasonal did worse[^6] |
| Steve's Paraphrase app | Reordered: "Speak or write" feature moved ahead of "Rewrite in your style" | Small uplift, kept[^8][^9] |

Lessons Steve draws: subtle changes can matter a lot; showing more of the actual app tends to raise downloads; faces in the first three screenshots increase conversion.[^1][^7]

**Testing sequence he follows:** find the winning order → then test social proof (rating stars/laurels or a testimonial) vs base → then human-in-front vs screen-only, each as its own single-treatment test.[^10][^11]

**What to test first:** the first three screenshots, because only they show in search results and Apple Ads.[^12]

## Disagreements / caveats
- Seasonal creative is popular advice, but the Angry Birds test contradicted it.[^6]
- Several results are vendor case studies (SplitMetrics, AppScreens — Steve's sponsor) or anonymised clients; sample sizes aren't given.
- Steve's own Paraphrase uplift was "relatively small"; don't expect 30% every time.[^9]

## See also
- [[app-store-screenshot-copy-best-practices]]
- [[app-store-screenshot-production-and-ppo-setup]] — how to run the test in App Store Connect

[^1]: yt:4RpS1BMJEaw @ 00:51 — Steve P. Young
[^2]: yt:4RpS1BMJEaw @ 04:33 — Steve P. Young
[^3]: yt:4RpS1BMJEaw @ 03:43 — Steve P. Young
[^4]: yt:4RpS1BMJEaw @ 14:19 — Steve P. Young
[^5]: yt:x41YQ11Regg @ 01:52 — Steve P. Young
[^6]: yt:4RpS1BMJEaw @ 02:11 — Steve P. Young
[^7]: yt:4RpS1BMJEaw @ 03:43 — Steve P. Young
[^8]: yt:4RpS1BMJEaw @ 08:47 — Steve P. Young
[^9]: yt:4RpS1BMJEaw @ 09:50 — Steve P. Young
[^10]: yt:4RpS1BMJEaw @ 10:41 — Steve P. Young
[^11]: yt:4RpS1BMJEaw @ 11:40 — Steve P. Young
[^12]: yt:4RpS1BMJEaw @ 05:56 — Steve P. Young